Tell Me the Truth
by RunNRide25
Summary: Itachi x OC "I'm sorry did you want to die?" "What I want is to know what the heck is going on." Masuyo said. She walked up to Itachi and looked up into his eyes. "Tell me the truth."
1. Chapter 1

Kisame and Itachi weaved through the crowds on the street. They were heading back to base after completing a mission and had stopped in a small town along the way. The town was having some sort of festival, so the streets were extremely crowded with a wide variety of people. Even Kisame and Itachi in their Akatsuki cloaks didn't stand out.

The pair turned into a side street to avoid the crowds as they made their way through. As they turned a sharp corner, Itachi ran into someone.

"Excuse me," he said quietly.

"No problem . . ."  
The girl's eyes flickered upward, looking under Itachi's hat. Her eyes widened.  
"Itachi!"

She was immediately trapped in his genjutsu. Next thing she knew she was standing in a blood-red field, crows flying all around. A pair of red eyes looked down on her from the sky.

"Who are you?" a voice asked.  
The girl simply stared into the eyes. Her body began to shake.  
"WHO ARE YOU?"  
"Itachi-kun, It's me. Masuyo. Nakamura Masuyo."

Then, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Masuyo's eyes opened to darkness. She was blindfolded, and night had fallen so not even the smallest amount of light snuck through the fabric. A gag prevented her from speaking, and the ropes around her wrists and ankles made movement difficult. Still, she somehow managed to get herself into a sitting position.

"Hey, Itachi. She's up."

Masuyo's body immediately tensed up as she felt Itachi's presence coming closer to her. He sat on the ground in front of her and removed her blindfold. Masuyo found herself staring directly into Itachi's glowing red Sharingan.

"Listen to me," he said, "You will answer my questions truthfully and without hesitation. This doesn't have to be any more painful for you than it has to be. Understand?"

She nodded her head, and Itachi removed the gag.

"Where are you from?"  
"Konoha."  
"Are you a ninja?"  
"Yes. A Jonin. In the Medical Corps."

Itachi paused for a moment, just looking at Masuyo for a minute. He knew he had encountered this girl before.  
"How did you recognize me so quickly?"  
"You mean, you don't remember?"  
Masuyo flinched as she felt a sharp pain in her head.  
"Answer the question."  
"We went to the academy together. We were in the same class, we actually sat next to each other, but you graduated early. Actually, we were . . ."  
"What."  
"Friends, Itachi-kun. Best friends."

Itachi's eyes widened and he sat back. He looked at her, all of her, searching his memory. Suddenly, it dawned on him.  
"Masuyo-chan . . . you're, you're still alive?"  
"Yeah. Yeah, I am."  
"But, your whole team . . . there were no survivors."  
"I escaped. Everyone just assumed I was dead because everyone else was and I didn't come back for so long."

Itachi just stared at her. He couldn't believe it. His childhood friend, whom he hadn't seen in over seven years, was sitting there in front of him. As she looked back at him, tears formed in her eyes, eventually becoming a steady stream flowing down her face.

"Why Itachi-kun? Why did you do it? Why did you throw it all away? Why did you leave?" she sobbed.  
Itachi sighed. "I-"  
"Itachi!"

Itachi huffed, then turned and looked at his partner. "What, Kisame?"  
Kisame walked over and looked at Masuyo. "So, who is she?" He flicked her forehead protector. "A leaf ninja, huh? She's so small, nothing more than an afternoon snack."  
"Kisame."  
"Well, what _are_ we going to do with her?"  
"Nothing. Not until we talk to Leader-sama tomorrow. For now, it's late. Get some rest, I'll keep watch first."

About an hour later, while Kisame was sound asleep, Itachi again approached Masuyo. She opened her mouth to ask questions, but he motioned her to keep quiet. He quickly untied the ropes around her ankles and wrists. She looked at him, confused.

"Get out of here," he ordered her.  
"But, Itachi, why?" she questioned.  
"Don't ask questions, just go. Before I change my mind."

Masuyo nodded and began to leave the two partner's camp.  
"Masuyo."  
"Yes, Itachi-kun?"  
"Don't...don't tell anyone you saw me."  
"But why-" she stopped herself, noticing the unamused glare Itachi was directing her way. "Right, don't ask questions, just go." Itachi nodded.

Masuyo took a few more steps before saying quietly, "Considering the circumstances, even still, it was good to see you again, Itachi-kun." With that, she took off into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

"Itachi! Hey, Itachi!"  
Itachi's eyes snapped open to see Kisame shaking him awake.  
"You baka! You fell asleep! She escaped!" Kisame was shouting at him.

"She did?"  
"Yeah, she did!" Kisame exclaimed while picking up Samehada and resting it on his shoulder. "Now hurry up, we gotta go find her."  
"...Why?"  
"Why?! WHY?! You mean you just intend to let her go?!"  
"Why waste our time? She has nothing on us other than our current location. She doesn't know where we came from, where we're going, or what we're doing. Going after her is a waste of time. She probably has no more useful intel than any other leaf ninja we happen across."  
Kisame sighed. "Alright, Itachi, have it your way."

* * *

"Masuyo, do you mind telling me why you were a day late returning from a simple message delivery mission?"  
"Well, you see, Tsunade-sama..."

Masuyo scratched the back of her head. In her mind, she was arguing with herself.  
_Just tell her, 'I ran into Itachi Uchiha and got held up!'_  
_But I told Itachi I wouldn't tell anyone!_  
_He's an enemy! Why should I listen to him?_  
_He's my friend!_  
_He WAS my friend!_  
_But-_

"Masuyo!" Tsunade exclaimed.  
"I, uh, I ran into . . . an old friend."  
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "An old friend?"  
"Yeah he . . . doesn't live around here. And I hadn't seen him for a while. I didn't intend to be held up as long as I was, but I couldn't just leave, you know? I apologize for the extra time."  
Tsunade sighed. "It's fine, Masuyo, just, try not to let it happen again, hm?"  
"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

Masuyo left the Hokage's office and walked back to her apartment. She made herself a cup of tea and sat on her couch, looking out her window. She couldn't stop thinking about Itachi. Something was off with him. It didn't make sense. No matter how good of friends they had been back at the academy, why would someone who had killed his family simply let her escape? Something was weird, and Masuyo was going to get to the bottom of it.


	4. Chapter 4

Masuyo slammed the book down. Another dead end. She had been in the library for hours, and she was no closer to finding anything out than she had been when she walked in. All the newspaper articles, reports, and history books said the same thing. Itachi Uchiha betrayed the village and killed his clan, save for one person; his younger brother. It was nothing she, or anyone else, hadn't heard before.

Masuyo returned to her apartment empty handed. No clues, no leads, and still, no idea why Itachi had decided to let her go.

Maybe he was tired, and didn't feel like dragging around and keeping track of a prisoner. No, that couldn't be it, he showed no signs of fatigue while she was with him. Maybe he was just feeling generous that day and decided to be merciful. No, that wasn't it either. As an Akatsuki member, he would've rarely (if ever) let prisoners get away alive (let alone set them free), and Masuyo had always known Itachi to be consistent. He was always on top of his studies, always thorough in the completion of his missions, and always taking care of his family.

That was something else that didn't make sense to Masuyo. She had had many conversations with Itachi about his family over the years, and it was always evident that he cared greatly about his clan. Why would somebody who cared so much slaughter so many just to test his abilities. And, on the other hand, if he was going to kill everyone else, why not kill Sasuke too?

None of it made any sense, which made it even stranger. Itachi always made sense. He was an intelligent, tactical, and logical person. Back when they did missions together, everything he did made sense. If not in the moment, then later.

Something clicked in Masuyo's mind. It was small, but it was a start. It didn't make sense that Itachi would kill his clan as a test, so there had to be another reason. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it earlier. It was so obvious!

But, as it usually is, every answer brings new questions. If there was another reason Itachi killed his clan, what was it? And why had he given another reason? Was he hiding something, and if so what? Masuyo rubbed her forehead. She had a feeling that there was so much more to this than anybody knew. That this was something much bigger than it seemed.

And now, Masuyo ran into another problem. If there was another reason, Itachi was probably the only person who knew what it was. Even if others knew, she hadn't a clue as to who they would be. If Itachi was the only one who knew, the only way to find out would be to talk to him. But to talk to him, she had to find him, and Itachi Uchiha isn't exactly easily found.

But she had to try. Despite all that had happened, Masuyo still cared for Itachi. She had always wondered about what had made him do what he did, and recent events only made her wonder more.

Masuyo made her decision. Tomorrow, she was leaving. She was going to get to the bottom of this once and for all.


	5. Chapter 5

"Let me get this straight," a cranky Hokage said, "You want me to let you leave for who knows how long, to go visit a friend who you just saw the other day."  
Masuyo scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."  
"Explain to me again why you think this is a good idea."  
"Well, I promised him I'd make an effort to see him again soon, seeing as I had to cut our time short due to having to report back to you. I figured that since we're usually pretty slow this time of year, you could do without me for a bit."  
"Uh huh. And why don't you know when you'll be back?"  
"Well, we do have a lot of catching up to do..."

Tsunade sighed.

"Listen, Masuyo, I'm not stupid. I know you're up to something. I don't know what happened between you and this friend, and quite honestly, I'm not even sure this friend exists."  
Masuyo gulped. This wasn't going well.  
"However, I trust you. And darn it Masuyo, if you're not back here alive and well in a months time, so help me I will personally hunt you down, drag your sorry butt back to Konoha, and give you a verbal thrashing that would make the Akatsuki leader himself curl into a ball and cry like a baby! Do I make myself clear?"  
"Crystal, Hokage-sama."  
Tsunade sighed again. "Alright then, get out of here. And please, don't do anything stupid. I can't afford to lose someone of your caliber."  
"I understand, Tsunade-sama. Thank you."

Masuyo grabbed her bag from the apartment before heading to the village gates. She had been planning on leaving regardless of what Tsunade had said, but common procedure demanded she at least asked.

It was only a few hours before she reached the place she had last seen Itachi. She immediately began searching the site for clues as to where Itachi had gone. To any normal person, there was no trace anyone had ever been here. But Masuyo knew what to look for.

Before the Uchiha massacre and before Masuyo had gone missing, she was a part of the ANBU, and thus had extraordinary tracking abilities. But even though she knew exactly what to look for, she knew Itachi would know what to cover up, as he had been in the ANBU as well. Though this also worked to her advantage, as she knew what steps he would take in order to cover his tracks. It was a complicated and roundabout process, but soon enough she was able to pick up a trail and begin her pursuit.

She was only about three days behind Itachi. If she hurried, and didn't loose the trail, she figured she could catch him within a week and a half tops. Then, it was just a matter of getting him alone so they could talk.

Masuyo sighed. This was going to be difficult.


	6. Chapter 6

Masuyo clenched her fists in frustration. She had been gone two weeks, and still hadn't caught up to Itachi. She had run into a few false leads, and to be honest, she wasn't totally confident in the one she was following now.

Her suspicions vanished as she came to a small clearing. After a thorough investigation, she discovered something that made her eyes widen and adrenaline rush at the opportunity. From the clues she had gathered, two people had entered this clearing, and she was sure one of them was Itachi. The other she assumed was his partner, Kisame, but seeing as she had only encountered him once, she couldn't be totally sure. Anyway, two people had entered the clearing together, but had left separately. For whatever reason, Itachi and Kisame had split up, and not long ago. As best as she could tell, Masuyo figured they hadn't left but a few hours before she arrived.

Masuyo hurried in the direction Itachi had gone. She could feel herself catching him, as she was beginning to pick up his chakra signal. Before too long, she came to a halt. Standing in a small clearing, not 25 yards in front of her, was Itachi. She sat perched in a tree, deciding on her next course of action.

Itachi made the decision for her.  
"I know you've been following me, so you may as well save us both the trouble and come out now," he said.  
Masuyo sighed, defeated, and hopped down from the tree.  
"What're you doing here?" Itachi asked. "I told you to leave."  
"I did," Masuyo replied, "I went back to Konoha, gave my mission report (Don't worry, I left you out of it), stayed in the village a couple days, then left to find you."  
"Why? You, of all people. Why would you do something so stupid?"  
"I need answers, Itachi."

For a moment, Masuyo swore she saw Itachi stiffen.  
"What makes you think that I would tell someone from the village I defected from anything?"  
Masuyo sighed. "I'm not here on village business, Itachi. I didn't even bring my headband," she said, pointing to her blank forehead where her forehead protector usually was. "I told Tsunade I was going to catch up with an old friend, and that's exactly what I intend to do."  
"Hn," Itachi scoffed, "You wasted your time. I have nothing to say to you."

Itachi turned to leave, only to feel Masuyo's sword pressed against his neck.  
"I didn't say you had a choice," she said flatly.  
Itachi turned to face her, sharingan activated. It was in vain, however, as Masuyo had already closed her eyes. Itachi mentally cursed. How had he forgotten? When they were younger, Itachi and Masuyo had spent so much time together that she had no problem sensing his chakra. She could literally fight him with her eyes closed; and win. This wasn't going to be as easy as Itachi had anticipated.

Itachi quickly drew a kunai and swiped Masuyo's sword away from his neck. The two of them began to fight hand-to-hand. Itachi was frustrated to see that Masuyo had not lost her ability to sense his movements in the slightest. He never even came close to landing a blow on her, yet she was able to get around his defenses and nick him a few times with relatively little difficulty. He knew that, if she wanted too, she could do some serious damage to him in this fight.

Itachi stepped back and returned his kunai to it's place.  
"Alright, Masuyo," he said, "What do you want?"  
Masuyo sheathed her sword and opened her eyes.  
"Why did you let me go?" she asked him.  
"I had no reason to keep you as prisoner."  
"That's very un-Akatsuki like," Masuyo stated. Itachi shrugged.  
"Why did you kill everyone?"  
"It was a test of my abilities. Proof that Konoha could do nothing for me anymore."  
"Itachi, that's a lie and you know it!"

Itachi glared at Masuyo.  
"And what makes you think that it is?" he growled.  
"Because," Masuyo stated, "You are one of the most consistent, thorough, logical, and tactical people I know. Everything you do makes sense, and this doesn't. Why would someone who so obviously cared about his clan kill them? And, if you are the monster you claim to be, why leave Sasuke alive, why let me go?"

Itachi got right up in Masuyo's face.

"Listen," he growled, "I am a heartless killer who murdered my entire clan. That's all there is to it."  
His head snapped to the side as Masuyo slapped him across the face. He looked back at her, somewhat shocked, and saw tears flowing down her face.  
"Don't say that," she sobbed, "Don't you ever say that, Itachi. You're not. I know you're not. You're the most caring and loyal person I've ever known, so stop lying."

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"  
Masuyo turned around to see Kisame standing behind her.  
"You again?" he asked. "Heh, you're going to regret not staying away while you had the chance. This time, you're not getting away with your life!"

Kisame swung Samehada at Masuyo. She ducked out of the way just in time. Itachi stood watching, neither helping her nor going against her. Kisame continued to swing at Masuyo. She was faring well, until a patch of uneven ground messed up her footing and she found herself on the ground. Kisame stood over her with a evil smile on his face.

"You're finished, little shinobi."

He swung his sword. There was no blocking, no dodging, so Masuyo closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. _I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama, _she thought, _You're going to have to figure out how to manage without me._

But the blow never came.

Masuyo opened her eyes to see Kisame frozen, his eyes glazed and staring into space.

_Getjutsu._

She looked at Itachi. His sharingan was activated and he was glaring at Kisame.  
Masuyo smirked at him.

"Heartless, hm?"

Itachi looked at her, unamused.

"I'm sorry did you want to die? Because I can let him go."  
"What I want is to know what the heck is going on." Masuyo said. She walked up to Itachi and looked up into his eyes.  
"Tell me the truth."

Itachi sighed. This was going to take a while.


	7. Chapter 7

Itachi told her everything. He told her about Danzo's threats towards Sasuke and his family. He told her about the Uchiha's plot to attack the village. He told her about the order given by the elders. He told her how he begged for Sasuke's life to be spared, and for him to be protected. He told her his plan for Sasuke to kill him.

By the end of his explanation, Masuyo was, again, in tears.  
"It's not fair," she said. "How could they order you to do this?! How could they order you to throw away everything and become a rogue?! How could they order you to shatter your own reputation?! How could they-"

"Masuyo."

She stopped, and she looked at her friend.  
"Something had to be done. If the Uchiha clan wasn't dealt with, a war would have started. Somebody had to eliminate them. Somebody they could trust. I understood the consequences of the mission, and I accepted it anyway. It was difficult, but I had to protect the village that I love."  
Masuyo sighed. "It all makes sense now."  
"Masuyo," Itachi said, "You can't tell anyone what I've just told you."

"But-" Masuyo started to protest. But then, she thought about it. About what sort of chaos could break out. How would the other clans respond if they knew the elders had ordered an entire clan to be eliminated? Would the ninjas and townspeople question their leadership? Masuyo's eyes widened as another thought crossed her mind. _How would Sasuke respond?  
_"I understand," she told Itachi. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Thank you, Masuyo-chan," Itachi said as he turned his attention towards Kisame. "You should go. I shouldn't keep him like this much longer."  
"Right," Masuyo said as she turned to leave.

"Um, Itachi-kun?"  
"Yes?"  
"Can I, can we, I don't know, meet up again sometime?"  
Itachi sighed. "That would not be wise."  
"...Please?"  
Itachi sighed again. "Next time, you will explain to me how it is that you're still alive."  
Masuyo grinned. "Alright, it's a deal!"

And with that, she took off into the forrest.

* * *

"What?! Where'd she go?!"  
"Where'd who go, Kisame?"  
"That girl! She was right here!"  
"What girl?"  
"That girl we ran into a couple weeks ago! The one that got away!"  
"Kisame, she's not here. She never was. Are you feeling alright?"  
"Now that you mention it, I've got a splitting headache!"  
"You better get some rest. I can't have you hallucinating if we're going to complete this mission."

"Yeah...ok."


	8. Chapter 8

Masuyo returned to Konoha just 3 days shy of her one month limit. She immediately went to Tsunade's office.  
"Masuyo, you're back," Tsunade said. "Your visit went well?"  
"Yup."  
Tsunade sighed. "You're never going to tell me what you were really up to, are you?"

Masuyo grinned. "Nope."

Back in her apartment, Masuyo was doing some brief spring cleaning before going to bed. She came across a shoebox hidden in the back of a closet. She opened it up, and it brought a smile to her face. In the box was everything from her childhood that had reminded her of Itachi. She had hidden it away after she returned to the village and found out about the massacre.

* * *

Itachi couldn't sleep, so he just stopped trying. He sat up from his bed at the hideout. Just under two weeks ago, he had told Masuyo everything. Itachi could count on one hand the number of people that knew even almost everything about what happened.

* * *

There were a lot of things for such a small box. There were pictures dating from before their academy days to their days in the ANBU. There were some shuriken Itachi had got her for her birthday once. Some odd things too: a couple rocks and a stick, a ticket stub from the theatre, a broken hair tie.

* * *

He wasn't sure why he trusted her so much, especially with such secret information. True, they had been good friends years ago, but they hadn't spoken in over seven years. People change over that kind of time. But still, Masuyo said she still considered him her friend, and she promised she wouldn't tell anybody. Itachi had known Masuyo to be someone who always kept their promises, so really, he shouldn't be worried.

* * *

Masuyo smiled as she returned everything to the box. She missed having Itachi as her friend, but at least now she could see him every once and a while, right? She sighed as she looked out the window, wondering how long it would be before she saw her old friend again.

* * *

Itachi sighed as he laid back down on his bed. He hadn't thought about Masuyo for a long time, but she had been popping into his head constantly this past month. Not that there was any reason she would before. He had thought she was dead, so (since it was about the same time anyway) he stashed it away with the massacre in the "remember as infrequently as possible" part of his memory. _How did she survive, anyway? _he wondered. He sighed again as he looked out his window. He'd have to wait until their next encounter before he got an answer.


	9. Chapter 9

*3 months later*

Masuyo sat near the campfire, her two teammates sleeping soundly in their tents. She had volunteered to take the first watch shift. Suddenly, she sensed a presence. Masuyo stood and turned, kunai in hand, in an instant. She slowly approached the direction where she felt the chakra signal coming from.  
"Show yourself!"

She felt the chakra signal get stronger, and she recognized it instantly.  
"Itachi!" she whispered, now running in his direction.

She found him leaning against a tree about 100 yards from the campsite. He smiled at her.  
"Hello Masuyo."  
"Hey Itachi. What you been up to lately?"  
"Gathering information, hunting down people who know too much, convincing Leader-sama that going after Naruto last is a good idea."  
Masuyo's eyes widened.

"Whoa," she said. Then she smiled. "How many things have you done for Konoha that no one will ever know about?"  
Itachi shrugged. "I've lost count."

Masuyo laughed. "Well, on behalf of everyone else, since they can't say it themselves, thank you!"

Itachi shrugged again. Then he looked at Masuyo. "What have you done recently?"  
"Well, now we're on our way to an escort mission. Some rich dude that's a little too paranoid about robbers. Anyways, other than that it's been mostly spying for me."  
"You always were a good spy."  
"Aww, thanks!"

For a moment, the two sat in silence.  
"Masuyo?" Itachi finally asked.  
"Yes?"

"Last time, you promised me you would tell me about that mission. The one that only you survived."  
Masuyo looked down.  
"Oh yeah, I did, didn't I?" she said quietly.  
Itachi looked at her patiently. She sighed.

"Well, we knew the mission was dangerous going in. I mean, we figured one or two of us wouldn't come back, but there were ten of us! There were more of them than we thought though, and they were more powerful and organized than we had anticipated. I was fighting with their leader. He was surprisingly young for how much influence and control he had over the other men; like mid-late 20s. Before I knew it, it was just the two of us. He was good too, and he could have easily killed me, but he didn't."

Masuyo started crying, and Itachi looked at her confused.  
"He looked at me, and he said, 'I like you. You've got spunk. I think I'll keep you alive. I have . . . _other plans_ for you.' So," Masuyo said between light sobs, "he-he took me back to his hideout..."  
Itachi's eyes widened.  
"No. He didn't!"  
Masuyo looked at him.

"Masuyo, tell me he didn't do what I think he did!"  
Masuyo looked at the ground. Itachi grabbed her shoulders.  
"Dang it, Masuyo! Tell me he didn't rape you!"

Masuyo wrapped her arms around her torso, hugging herself. She still wouldn't look Itachi in the eye. Itachi's eyes softened, and instead of gripping her shoulders, he pulled Masuyo close to him.  
"It's ok, Masuyo. It's ok."  
"I couldn't fight back," she whispered. "I was too weak from the fight. I couldn't fight back."  
"I know. It's ok."

As Itachi comforted Masuyo, anger burned inside of him. How could he have allowed this to happen to his best friend? When he had believed Masuyo was dead, he had determined that if he ever discovered who was responsible he would kill them. Now, he not only wanted to kill this guy, but he wanted to but him through the worst Tsukuyomi torture the world had ever seen.

Itachi held her for a bit longer before he let her out of his grasp. One look at his face and Masuyo realized how angry he really was.  
"I killed him though," she said, hoping to relieve some of his anger. "Once I had recovered. I killed him, and I escaped."

"But it could've been prevented!" He would have been shouting if they weren't so close to the camp.  
"Itachi, there's nothing anyone could have done-"

"You were the last one to be assigned to the mission, right? A last-minute replacement?"  
"Yeah..."  
"It was supposed to be me. I was supposed to be on that mission, but they pulled me out." Itachi laughed sarcastically. "They pulled me out so I could kill my clan."

"Itachi, you can't blame yourself. It was out of your control."  
"I know," he said, "but it shouldn't have happened to begin with. The Uchiha's shouldn't have gone against Konoha, I shouldn't have had to kill them, and you shouldn't have had to go on that mission."  
Masuyo sighed. "Well, we can't change it now."  
Itachi shook his head.

He looked at Masuyo. "You should go back to camp. Your shift should be over soon."  
"Yeah . . ." Masuyo said quietly.  
". . . Before you go there's something you should know."  
"What?"  
"I'm sick."  
Masuyo raised an eyebrow. "You're sick? What kind of sick?"  
"It's a bloodborn illness. There's no cure. If Sasuke doesn't kill me first, it will."

Masuyo panicked for a moment.

"No cure?! What do you mean there's no cure?! I'm a medic! I can find one! I-"  
"Masuyo." Itachi cut her off. "It's not worth it. I'm going to die either way."  
Masuyo hung her head. "I know, I just . . . I care, Itachi."  
Itachi smiled. "I know. You always have. You always put others before yourself. That's something I always really admired about you."  
Masuyo blushed a bit as she smiled.

"You should go. Nice to see you, Masuyo-chan."  
"Good to see you too, Itachi-kun."


	10. Chapter 10

"You take Itachi! I'll handle Kisame!"

Masuyo mentally cursed as her teammate barked orders at her. She had _tried_ to avoid running into Itachi. Once she sensed his chakra, she had tried to talk her teammate into taking a different route. Yes, she hadn't seen him again in a couple months, but she didn't want to run into him like this.

They faced each other, neither one wanting to be in the position they were in. Itachi activated his Sharingan and Masuyo pulled out some kunai. She didn't bother closing her eyes. It's not like Itachi would use Tsukuyomi on her or anything. She threw her kunai; well enough to look like she was trying but not so well that they couldn't easily be dodged.

Itachi easily dodged the kunai and responded with a few of his own. Masuyo easily deflected them with her sword and charged at Itachi. She swung her sword but was blocked by a kunai held by Itachi.

The two began to fight in close contact. Each able to find an opening here or there, but each time not allowing themselves to cause any more damage than a scratch just deep enough to draw a bit of blood. Their weapons locked between them and they stared into each other's eyes.  
"What are you doing?" Masuyo whispered. "Just put me out, or something!"  
"Not until Kisame and you teammate's fight is resolved," Itachi replied.

They continued to fight until Itachi noticed Kisame was beginning to have difficulties keeping up with his opponent.

"I'm sorry, Masuyo," he said quietly.

Then, everything went black.

"Masuyo! Hey! Masuyo!"

Masuyo opened her eyes as her teammate shook her awake. She sat up, holding her head from the genjutsu-induced headache she was sure she would have for the rest of the day.

"Where's Itachi? And Kisame?" She asked.  
"They escaped after putting you in a genjutsu. Now come on, collect you weapons. We can't stay here any longer."  
"Right," Masuyo said, standing up slowly.

She walked around the clearing, gathering her kunai. She picked up her sword from the ground, her face scowling at Itachi's blood that covered parts of the blade.

Wait...Itachi's _blood_?

_". . . Before you go there's something you should know."  
"What?"  
"I'm sick."  
"You're sick? What kind of sick?"  
"It's a bloodborn illness. There's no cure. If Sasuke doesn't kill me first, it will."_

A blood born illness...

Masuyo thought, looking again at her sword. She smiled, pulling out a small vial from her med kit.

"What're you doing?" her teammate asked.  
"It's for an experiment," Masuyo replied as she gathered as much blood as she could into the vial.  
"Now, lets go."


	11. Chapter 11

Masuyo stormed out of the lab.

"What's she so angry about?" One nurse asked another.  
"She's been researching a blood sample with some unknown disease. She's trying to develop a cure, but has had no progress since the obtained the sample over a month ago."  
"Why doesn't she find some help then? Why go at it herself?"  
"She says it's personal; something she has to find out herself. Besides, who around could help her? Her medical skills are comparable to Lady Tsunade's. There's nobody around that would know anything she doesn't already."  
"That's too bad."

Masuyo fell backwards onto her bed. She laid there, staring at the ceiling, wondering what more she could do to find a cure for Itachi's disease.

~tap tap tap~

Masuyo's eyes snapped open. She looked over to the window across the room.

~tap tap tap~

She grabbed a kunai and slowly approached the window.

~tap tap tap~

She flung the window open and jumped back, kunai raised in defense. Then she sighed at the crow sitting on her windowsill.  
"Well, little guy, you scared me for a minute there," Masuyo said as she approached the bird. "What're you doing here?"

Masuyo expected the bird to fly away as she approached it, but it stayed sitting on her windowsill, watching her intently. _That's odd..._ she thought, then she noticed the crow's eye. Her eyes widened. _Sharingan...!?_

_Masuyo._

Masuyo looked around, wondering where the voice came from.

_Masuyo, it's Itachi.  
_"Itachi-kun? Is this...genjutsu?"  
_Yes. I'm using my crow to communicate with you.  
_"Ah. Got it. So, what's up?"  
_I'm near the village. I haven't talked to you in a while. Are you going to be home this evening?  
_"Uh, yeah I wasn't planning on doing anything."  
_Hn. May I stop by?  
_"Are you kidding?! Here?! In the village?! You'll be caught!"  
_What makes you think I will even allow them to know that I am here?  
_Masuyo sighed. She knew there was going to be no arguing with him.  
"Alright, have it your way."  
_Good. I will see you later._

Masuyo sighed as she returned to her sprawled-out position on her bed. But this time, she was more nervous than frustrated. Yes, she was excited to see Itachi again, but here in the village? What if he got caught? He could handle himself even still, it would be a pain. And what if she got caught with him? _That_ would take some serious explaining. There was no guarantee the village wouldn't label her as a traitor, forcing her to leave the village.

She sighed again, but then felt a small burst of wind against her face. She sat up.

"Itachi-kun!"


	12. Chapter 12

Itachi sat on Masuyo's windowsill, a light breeze playing with his hair. With the night sky as his background, he looked every bit as dark and mysterious as the image he had made himself to be in everyone's eyes.

"Itachi-kun!" Masuyo ran up to him.

Then, he did something she never expected him to do. The moment she reached him, he stood up, stepped forward, and hugged her. He held onto her for a moment, before releasing her slowly and looking into her widened eyes.

"I need to talk to you about something," he said.

"Ok, shoot," she replied.

Itachi motioned towards Masuyo's bed for the two of them to sit down. They sat beside each other silently for a moment. Masuyo waited patiently for whatever it was Itachi had to tell her, knowing he would speak up when he was ready.

Finally, he spoke.

"Sasuke has killed Orouchimaru."  
Masuyo was shocked. Sasuke had become very powerful.  
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"  
"Both. And neither. Orouchimaru wanted to use Sasuke's body as a vessel, which is now no longer an issue, but I believe that Orouchimaru may have a part of himself sealed in Sasuke's curse mark. Also, since Sasuke is obviously done with his training under Orouchimaru, that can only mean one thing."  
Masuyo's eyes widened. "He's coming after you."

"Yes," Itachi stated. "The next time Sasuke and I will fight, it will be the end. He will kill me."

Masuyo tried to fight the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, but to no avail. "There's no other way, is there?"

Itachi was silent for a moment. "No," he said. "Not anymore. This has gone so far, there's no going back. Sasuke has to kill me. He's powerful enough now that if he were to discover the truth the Leaf Village could be in danger. It's for everyone's safety that he doesn't know."

"I guess you're right...but I still don't want you to die."

"It's unavoidable," Itachi said, standing up. "I should go. It would be very bad for you if I were to be caught here."

"I guess," Masuyo said, also standing. Itachi began to walk toward the window, but paused before reaching it. He turned to look at Masuyo, who was standing by her bed with her arms wrapped around her torso in a self-hug. Itachi sighed, and approached her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"I'm sorry Masuyo. I'm sorry."

She didn't reply, she just softly cried into his chest. After a moment, Itachi loosened his grip and slight step back and look Masuyo in the eyes.

"Masuyo, it'll be alright, I promise." He leaned forward slightly and placed a soft kiss in the center of Masuyo's forehead.

Masuyo's eyes widened, before clenching shut again, fighting back more tears.  
"Take care of yourself, Masuyo. Thanks for everything."

Masuyo opened her eyes again, but Itachi had disappeared. She slumped onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Masuyo sat in the tree watching Itachi and Sasuke fight. She wanted nothing more than to run out between them, to explain everything, to prevent them from killing each other.

Well, more specifically prevent Sasuke from killing Itachi.

She knew Sasuke wouldn't die in this battle. If anyone was going to die, it would be Itachi. It was what he wanted. What he had planned all along.

Which was why she couldn't interfere. Itachi would never forgive her.

Masuyo clutched the vial in anger. She had just gotten the antidote. After all the research, failed attempts, and dead ends, she had finally come up with something. But it was too late. She felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

It couldn't end like this.

She couldn't completely explain why she had kept working on the antidote. Maybe it was a pride thing; she had to prove she could do it. Maybe she wanted to finish it as a sort of legacy for Itachi, the medicine able to be used on others even though it couldn't help him. Or maybe she finished it in the hope that Itachi would live, that he wouldn't have to die by Sasuke's hands.

She re-focused her attention on the battle in front of her. Itachi had Sasuke backed against the wall. If Itachi had wanted to kill Sasuke, it would've been over. Instead, Masuyo watched as Itachi poked his brother's forehead, and fell to the ground.

Masuyo covered her mouth with her hand, preventing herself from screaming. A single tear slid down her cheek as rain began to fall from the sky. She wanted to go to Itachi, but she couldn't while Sasuke was still there. So she sat frozen in the tree, waiting for Sasuke to leave. Instead, Sasuke collapsed next to his brother, and that was good enough for her.

She jumped down from the tree and sprinted towards them, only to stop in her tracks as two cloaked figures appeared she hid behind a piece of rubble before they could notice her. She peeked around the edge, getting a good look at the two standing over Itachi and Sasuke. Her eyes widened. It was Madara and Zetsu.

"Bring him back to the hideout, and bandage him up. Once he awakes, I will speak with him," Madara said.  
"What about Itachi?" Zetsu asked.  
"We'll worry about him later. He's dead anyways. Once Sasuke is taken care of, you can come get him."  
And with that, Madara and Zetsu took Sasuke and disappeared.

Masuyo was at Itachi's side in an instant. _Please,_ she thought, _Please don't be gone yet. _A soft green glow covered her hands as she checked Itachi's body.

His injuries from battle were bad, but not fatal in and of themselves. It was his disease. His condition had worsened in the last couple weeks, and the disease had completely overtaken his body. His organs were basically useless. Masuyo figured he hadn't taken his medication since the last time she saw him.

Then, she felt it. That one, faint, pulse throughout his body.

A lone heartbeat.

Masuyo's eyes widened. Itachi wasn't dead. At least, not at that moment. But he could be at any given time.

Taking advantage of her immediate full-blown adrenaline rush, she injected the vial of antidote straight into Itachi's bloodstream and poured her chakra into him. She had to keep him alive long enough for the antidote to start taking effect. For several minutes she sat there manually pulsing his heart and forcing his lungs to breathe.

_Please, don't let it be too late!_

A wave of relief flowed through Masuyo's body as she felt Itachi's heart weakly beat on it's own. His pulse was slow and weak, but it was there. She turned her attention to his other organs, making sure the antidote was flowing through them and adding her chakra to speed the repairing of the cells his disease had destroyed.

Masuyo could feel her chakra levels getting low as she moved on to his battle injuries. She healed them to the point of being no immediate threat before cutting off her chakra flow. She sat back, exhausted, and looked at Itachi's face. Color was beginning to return to his skin. He was alright, at least for now.


	14. Chapter 14

_Where am I? Am I . . . dead? Hm, good...wait...no...something's wrong..._

Itachi's eyes slowly creeped open. He was laying on the ground somewhere, with a blanket over him. It was dark, so he wasn't sure, but above him looked to be tent canvas. He slowly turned his head to the side, eyes widening to see Masuyo sleeping a couple feet away.

"Masuyo," he whispered.

"hn...'Tachi..." Masuyo mumbled, still asleep.

"Masuyo." Itachi spoke louder this time.

Masuyo's eyes half opened. "Whaat?" she asked, not fully awake.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Sleeping." Masuyo's eyes closed again, only for them to snap open a moment later.

"Itachi!" she exclaimed, bolting into a sitting position. "You're awake!"

"I am," Itachi said flatly. "Now again, what do you think you're doing?"

"Uh, saving you?"

"I told you before, Sasuke was supposed to kill me!"

"Well, he thinks he did..."

Itachi sighed. "The plan doesn't work if I'm not actually dead."  
Masuyo shrugged. "I always thought it was a dumb plan anyways. I mean, lying to your brother like that? Not cool."

Itachi slowly sat up. Masuyo could tell he was getting angry. "Do you know what would happen if Sasuke learned the truth?!"

"He'll activate his Mangekyo, fall further into darkness than you've already pushed him, and swear revenge on the Leaf," Masuyo stated matter-of-factly.

Itachi looked at her confused. "You say that as if..."  
"It already happened? Well, it did. Madara told him."

Itachi's eyes widened, and he laid back down in shock. "Sasuke..." He slammed his fist onto the ground. "D mn it! Why'd he have to tell him!" Itachi lifted a hand to his face. "It's all my fault. I should've gotten rid of him when I had the chance! This never should have happened!"

"Itachi, calm down-"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I Have To Fix This!"

"YOU CAN'T FIX EVERYTHING BY YOURSELF, ITACHI!" Masuyo was fighting back tears, and Itachi froze noticing this. "You're always trying to do it by yourself, and it's destroying you. It literally almost did..." She couldn't hold the tears back any longer, and small streams began to run down her cheeks.

"Stop." Itachi's said calmly, caressing her cheek and wiping a tear away with his thumb. "Don't do that."

"Let me help...'Tachi. Don't try...to do this...by yourself," Masuyo choked between sobs.

Itachi sighed. "Ok, Masuyo, ok," he whispered as he pulled Masuyo into his chest.

Masuyo clutched onto his shirt, which was beginning to become drenched from her tears. Itachi felt completely helpless. Crying women were not something he ever claimed to be an expert on, but he knew holding her like this only did so much. It didn't fix the problem, only made it a bit easier for her to deal with.

But what was the problem? The obvious answer was he, someone she had (and due to her recent actions, Itachi believed she still did) considered her best friend, had almost died as a result of his own actions and she was both distraught and relieved. But he couldn't help think there was something more, and he couldn't put his finger on it.

While they were in the ANBU, teammates had died. Teammates she had considered good friends had met much worse (not to mention more unexpected) deaths than this would have been, and she had never reacted to this extent. He wasn't even dead, and his situation was causing her more grief and anxiety than any other he had seen before.

He had to find out why, but he knew it would be difficult. Not so much for him, but for her. He had questions, and now probably wasn't the best time to ask them, but he needed answers. So, once she had calmed down a bit, he took a deep breath and asked:

"Masuyo?"

*sniff* "Hmm?"

"Why"

"Why what?"

"You know what."

Masuyo sighed. She knew she'd have to answer this sooner or later, but she had hoped for later. Much later.

"You honestly expected me to stand by and watch you die when there was something I could do about it? You're my best friend."

"How'd you get an antidote?"

"I got some blood of my weapons that one time we fought, brought it back to the lab, and worked my magic."

"Did Tsunade help you?"

"No."

"Does she know about it?"

"Not really."

"Does Tsunade even know you're here?"

"Of course not."

Now it was Itachi's turn to sigh. "Obviously she doesn't know you're with me, but does she know you left?"

"Well...no."

Itachi paused for a moment. He didn't think something was different here anymore. He knew. He took a deep breath.

"So what you're telling me is you went behind the Hokage's back not once, but twice. Not to mention the other times we've run into each other in the last year."

Masuyo shrugged.

"That's very un-ANBU like of you," Itachi stated.

Masuyo's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, did you want me to just sit back and watch you die; knowing I could do something? Did you really want to die so badly that you couldn't see any other option?"

"What I want is to know what is _really_ going on." Itachi said. He looked into Masuyo's eyes.

"Tell me the truth."


	15. Chapter 15

Masuyo froze for a moment. Was he...using her own words against her?

He had seen through her. He knew something was up; that she had other motives. She hesitated. Should she tell him the truth? Back in the ANBU, they never kept secrets from each other. That's why they worked together so well, and how she could read and sense Itachi so easily. Masuyo sighed.

"I had to save you. Not just because I think the whole situation with your brother is wrong, but because . . ."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Because . . . ?"

Masuyo took a deep breath. He had been honest with her before...

"Because I Love You."

Itachi froze, and his eyes widened. He didn't know how to react. This was definitely not the answer he was expecting.

"You...love me?"

"Yeah." Masuyo smiled, looking down. "Honestly, I've had a bit of a crush on you ever since back in the ANBU."

Itachi sat silently, gathering his thoughts. After a moment, he spoke.

"Masuyo, I don't know what to say."

Masuyo sighed, still not making eye contact with him. "I know. I expected as much. I mean, we basically haven't spent time together since back then."

Itachi's eyes drifted over to her. "I'm not saying I _don't_ love you."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I don't know. . . I'm saying I don't know."

"I can deal with that," Masuyo said, finally flickering her eyes over to Itachi.

They sat in silence for a while. Neither of them knew quite what to say to the other. Finally, Itachi spoke up.

"So, now that I'm not dead, what happens?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I never guessed Madara would tell Sasuke the truth. How did he know, anyway?"

"Even I can't eliminate an entire clan alone."

"Is he really Madara? Is that possible?"

Itachi shook his head. "Even Madara Uchiha couldn't live forever."

"Then...who is he?"

Itachi's face hardened. "Another Uchiha who's supposed to be dead."

Masuyo thought about it. "Shisui?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"Obito."

Masuyo's eyes widened. "Obito?! You mean, Kakashi's teammate Obito?!"

"Yeah."

"I thought he was crushed in a cave-in!"

"So does everyone else. But no, he's alive. And he's dangerous."

"But, according to Kakashi..."

"He's changed."

Masuyo's eyes narrowed. "How dangerous?"

"He's repsonsible for the Kyuubi attack sixteen years ago. And now, he wants to destroy the world as we know it."

"How do we stop him?"

Itachi paused for a moment. "He has fallen far into the Curse of Hatred. The only way to stop him now is to kill him."

"The Curse of Hatred?"

"Uchiha's are prone to it. Our Sharingan is developed by a change in our optic nerves caused by an intense emotional event. Usually the loss or serious endangerment of someone we love. After that, we become obsessed with revenge and hatred."

". . . Even you?"

"Somehow, it missed me. Along with Shisui and his father. We instead inherited the Will of Fire."

"But not Sasuke...?"

Itachi shook his head sadly. "Not Sasuke."

Masuyo thought for a moment. "So, we have to kill Obito and save Sasuke, but to save Sasuke we have to stop Sasuke."

"Right."

"I don't think we can do this alone, Itachi."

"We don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice."

"Do you know what they'll do to me if I go back?!"

"Do you know what Sasuke and Obito will do if we can't stop them?!"

Itachi nodded. "They'll start a war."

Itachi sighed. "Let me sleep on it. I'll think about it, come up with a plan." He laid back down and closed his eyes. Masuyo did the same.

". . . Itachi?"

"Yes?"

"You're not alone."

". . . I know."


	16. Chapter 16

Itachi's eyes opened. Morning's light drifted through the opaque top of the tent. He turned his head to see Masuyo's empty sleeping bag. He sat up slowly and stretched. Instantly, his mind was running a mile a minute, remembering the conversation last night.

Itachi had three major problems on his hands. First and foremost, there was Sasuke. His newfound knowledge of the truth caused him to swear revenge on Konoha. Stopping him without killing him would be tricky.

Then, there was Tobi/Madara/Obito. Itachi knew he had been sneaking around the Akatsuki. He knew he was bound to cause some trouble. But he was shocked at how quickly he was able to put his plan into motion. Itachi thought he'd have at least another couple months before Obito became a major issue.

Finally, there was his own situation. He was alive. Going back to the Akatsuki wasn't an option (not that he wanted to anyway). Neither was staying rogue on his own. Masuyo was right, he couldn't stop Sasuke and Obito by himself. But going back to Konoha wasn't an option either. Or was it? Masuyo seemed to think it was.

But how could it be? Yes, he hadn't _actually_ betrayed Konoha, but only a handful of people in the village knew that. They might _have_ to kill him, for the sake of public sanity and the cover-up. They'd most likely imprison him, which would cease any action he planned on as far as stopping Sasuke and Obito, other than giving intel. On the other hand he'd at least have somewhere to go, which was more than he had now.

But what if they didn't imprison him? Itachi hesitated to even entertain that idea. _IF _he was allowed to return, _if_ he were allowed to serve Konoha as a ninja once again, perhaps Sasuke would rethink his plan of revenge. Perhaps, if Sasuke saw that he was alive and had re-joined Konoha's forces, he'd no longer wish to take revenge for his sake, and maybe return to Konoha. Then, with Sasuke at his side and back-up from Konoha, they just might have a shot at stoping Obito.

Itachi sighed. It was a lot of speculation and wishful thinking, but right now, it was the best he had. He slowly got up and exited the tent. He approached Masuyo, who was sitting on a log eating her breakfast.

"You're awake," she stated.

"Yes."

Itachi paused, unsure how to proceed.

"Something on your mind?" Masuyo asked. As difficult as Itachi was for most people to read, Masuyo had learned what subtle ques to watch for. She could see the gears turning in his head, forming the question:

"Do you really think it's possible for me to return to Konoha?"

"Well, they're not going to kill you, if that's what you're wondering," Masuyo replied. "After all, _technically_ speaking you didn't really do anything wrong. I mean, they could try and peg you for some of the stuff you had to do in the Akatstuki, but nothing they could kill you over, especially since you were basically keeping an eye on them from the inside on behalf of Konoha. They'd probably have to arrest you, though, since nobody outside of a couple higher-ups know your true situation."

"What are the odds I would be allowed to re-join the ANBU?"

Masuyo let out a deep breath in thought. "I don't know, Itachi. I mean, we're talking best case scenario here, we'd _really_ have to pull some strings. I mean, I'd vouch for you 100%, but that can only help so much."

Itachi nodded, his eyes moving down and away from Masuyo's.

"You're...actually considering going back?" Masuyo asked, slightly shocked.

"Yes," Itachi replied, "You were right when you said I can't stop Sasuke and Obito alone. Konoha is the only place I can hope to get any help."

"Great! Now, you're going to need..." Masuyo trailed off as she jogged to the tent and began searching through her belongings. "...this!"

She held a small scroll in her hand. Itachi raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

Masuyo unrolled the scroll and summoned an ANBU uniform. "It's your old uniform!"

Itachi hesitated for a moment. "First, why do you have my uniform? Second, what good is it going to do us?"

Masuyo smirked. "First, it's a long story. Second, it's to sneak you into the village. If you just walk in like you are now, they'll have to arrest you on the spot; y'know, for public image or whatever. It'll be easier trying to keep you out of jail than trying to get you out when you're already in."

Itachi looked at her questioningly. "And you just carry my ANBU uniform around with you?"

"Well..."

"You've been planning this from the beginning, haven't you?"

"What? Did you honestly think that I would let you **not** go back to Konoha at this point?"

Itachi shook his head with a smirk. "I should have known."


	17. Chapter 17

Once Itachi was recovered enough to travel, he donned his old ANBU uniform and he and Masuyo set off for Konoha. They traveled uninterrupted for a few days, but on the fourth day, Masuyo sensed something. She was picking up someone's chakra signal. She closed here eyes and focused, trying to identify the signal. She smirked.

"We're taking a detour," she said to Itachi as she darted to the left.

As they approached the source of the signal, Masuyo began picking up a couple others.

"Masuyo. I sense five chakra signals ahead of us. Where are we going?" Itachi asked. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but Itachi was the type that liked to know what was going on.

"I'm recruiting someone else to help convice Tsunade that allowing you to be an ANBU to stop and save Sasuke is a good idea."

Itachi's brow furrowed. "Who?"

"Probably the only ninja who wants Sasuke back in Konoha as much as you do," Masuyo said as she landed on the road in front of them. She turned, spotting her target ahead of them and called out:

"NARUTO!"

Up ahead, Naruto turned. "Masuyo-chan!" he exclaimed, running in her direction. Kakashi, Sakura, Sai, and Yamato followed behind him.

"What is Masuyo doing all the way out here?" Sakura wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Sai answered her. "I had heard that she disappeared several weeks ago, leaving nothing but a note telling Tsunade she'd be back in a month or so."

"That's not like her," Yamato commented. "Masuyo tends to follow ANBU policy to a T. I wonder why she would take off like that."

"I used to work with her quite a bit, back in the day," Kakashi stated. "It's true she follows the rules, but she also knows when to break them. She must have a good reason."

Naruto quickly reached Masuyo. "What are you doing way out here, Masuyo-chan?" He asked as the others caught up. "Granny Tsunade just about blew a gasket when she found out you took off!"

Masuyo smiled sheepishly. She was going to have a lot of explaining to do when she got back. "Yeah, I got a bit of...a lead I guess...about some information regarding Sasuke and...a man referring to himself as Madara Uchiha."

Naruto's face darkened. "Did you run into them too?"

Masuyo's eyes widened, and she felt Itachi tense beside her. "No, I didn't. I take it you did."

"Yeah..." Naruto trailed off.

"What happened?"

"Sasuke has killed Itachi and Danzo."

Masuyo was taken aback. "Danzo is dead?!" Honestly, she wasn't all that upset about it. She always thought Danzo was a bit shady, and she didn't agree with all his methods. But even still, he was a prominent part of the ANBU. She had learned a lot from him.

"Why would Sasuke kill Danzo?" Masuyo asked. She knew why, but she wanted to know how much Naruto and the others knew about the situation.

The entire group tensed. Masuyo knew they all knew something they weren't willing to tell her.

"Long story short, Sasuke's sworn revenge on Konoha," Kakashi explained. "Danzo was acting as Hokage. Pein of the Akatsuki attacked Konoha and put Tsunade in a coma."

Again, Masuyo was taken aback. "Konoha was attacked?"

"Yeah. And that's not even the worst part," Naruto said. "Madara has declared war on the entire Shinobi nation."

Itachi gasped, causing everyone to shift their attention from Masuyo to him. Masuyo tensed. She had hoped she wouldn't have to reveal him yet, but the way things were playing out, it seemed she would have to.

Sai, Kakashi, and Yamato looked at Itachi skeptically. "I don't recognise your mask," Yamato stated. "Who are you?"

Itachi looked to Masuyo. She nodded, and he removed his mask. There was a collective gasp. Sai and Sakura took defensive positions.

"What?! You're supposed to be dead!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I would be, if not for Masuyo," Itachi stated.

"Why would you help him?" Sakura asked Masuyo. "And why are none of you ready to fight? Am I missing something here?!"

"Things aren't always as they seem, Sakura," Kakashi said, looking at Itachi.

"You know?" Itachi asked, shocked.

"Madara told us," Naruto filled in.

"Know what?! What am I missing?!" Sakura demanded.

"We'll explain on the way," Kakashi decided. "We need to get back to Konoha. We all have a lot of information to deliver."

As the group sped on towards Konoha, they shared intel. Itachi confirmed the information Madara had given the group, which was also shared with Sakura and Sai. Kakashi and Naruto filled Masuyo in regarding the attack on Konoha. Naruto immediately expressed excitement for bringing Sasuke back with Itachi's help, and then defeating Madara.

Masuyo's mind was running a mile a minute. She had no idea she had missed this much. Sure, she had been gone several weeks tracking and treating Itachi, then waiting for him to recover well enough to travel, but even still. It was a lot to take in. Tsunade was going to have her head once she saw her for being gone when Konoha could have used one of it's best ANBU. That is, assuming she woke up from this coma...


End file.
